Clek Liing & Liingo | NEW 2020 | FULL CAR SEAT REVIEW AND COMPARISON (RATINGS | REVIEW | COMPARISON)

We have been singing Clek’s praises for almost ten years now. We’ve watched them go from a small company with a high back booster to changing the infant car seat game. And now they’re back, further proving this Canadian brand to be the best of the best, the top of the top, where infant car seats should be, and someday, all will be.

Today, Clek introduced the Liingo - North America’s first and only car seat without a base. How is this even possible? In North America, car seats must have LATCHes, to anchor the seat to the seat in your car. Until now, this has solely been on the car seat’s base, which you then click the carrier into. Clek has created a detachable LATCH bin* - meaning you can install your baseless car seat with latches. Before, doing a baseless install was only acceptable with the European seat belt path (which the Liingo still has!) - this is still a safe installation, but the ease of latches makes this secure installation a breeze.

*It’s detachable because it adds exactly 1lb to this 9lb car seat - you can take it off and keep it in your bag, the bottom of the stroller, wherever makes sense for you. You do not have to remove it, and there’s a good chance that you won’t, but the option is there.

Who is a baseless car sat for? It’s made especially for those without a car. In Boston, where we are based, not everyone in the city has a car. This is essentially true for all cities - people who don’t own cars have babies every day, but can’t leave the hospital without a seat. If you don’t own a car, that doesn’t mean you’ll never be in a car with your baby. From taxis and Ubers, to friends and family, you’ll need transportation to get to the various appointments you will have. You will need to install a car seat in a car with your child at some point during their first year. At this point, many car seats have the ability to install without the base (using the European seat belt path I mentioned earlier), but what do you do with the base? You put it in a closet, in the basement, in an attic - somewhere you’ll probably never touch it again. That’s a lot of material that basically goes to waste, sitting around, never being used. Going baseless means less waste - in fact, the Liingo uses almost half the plastic and steel the Liing (and other comparable infant seats) use because it doesn’t have a base. If you find yourself looking at infant car seats, knowing the base will almost never be used, the Liingo is the car seat you should be considering.

To compare the Liing to the Liingo is simple - they’re the same car seat, but one comes with a base and the other doesn’t. The Liingo still features the same stroller compatibility with a one hand release, the same two piece shell with removable and machine washable covers, and the same 100 SPF 3 stage canopy. It is also still recyclable with Clek’s recycling program, has a 3 year warranty (when you register it online), and has a 9 year life span. Clek took the Liing and then made it easier for those who don't have a car, but need a convenient, flexible, and the best yet, affordable car seat. The Liingo’s starting price will be $199 for their jersey knit and we expect to see it in June. Keep an eye for any announcements regarding pre orders!